Sept. 11: What you’ll see at the new Flight 93 National Memorial Visitor Center

The Flight 93 National Memorial in southwestern Pennsylvania gains a new visitor center Thursday, one that tells the story of the United Airlines passengers and crew members who were killed after their plane was taken over by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001.

The center near Shanksville is set to be dedicated and opened to the public at 10 a.m. local time Thursday. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, memorial architect Paul Murdoch and others will appear.

The building sits on a hill overlooking the crash site and the Wall of Names of the 40 victims who died almost 14 years ago. It’s bisected by a black granite walkway that marks the final path of Flight 93.

The plane had taken off from Newark, N.J., and was supposed to land in San Francisco. It was commandeered by Al Qaeda hijackers about 40 minutes into the flight.

Inside the center are 10 exhibits that describe how passengers and crew made the decision to rush the cockpit in an attempt to regain control of the plane. There are photos of each victim, remnants of personal items from the crash, videos and interactive displays.

One exhibit puts visitors at the rear of a Boeing 757-200, like the United plane, to offer a sense of what those on board may have seen and experienced. Another exhibit shows the seating chart of passengers.

On Thursday, luminaria -- one lantern for each victim -- will be placed at the Wall of Names in the Memorial Plaza from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

On Friday, the annual Sept. 11 observance starts at 9:45 a.m. At 10:03 a.m., the moment the plane went down, the names of the passengers and crew will be read and bells will be rung in their memory.

Visitors need tickets to enter the new center. Walk-up tickets are free and handed out on a first-come, first-served basis. You may reserve tickets in advance at Recreation.gov or by calling (877) 444-6777; you’ll be charged a $1.50 service charge per ticket.

Flight 93 was one of four planes taken over by terrorists on Sept. 11. Two crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, and one crashed into the Pentagon. It’s believed Flight 93 was meant to target the U.S. Capitol. In all, almost 3,000 people were killed in the attacks.

Info: Flight 93 National Memorial

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